Welcome to Normal
by YanksLuver
Summary: Vaughn gets a taste of the normal life he craves.
1. Welcome to Normal: Part 1

Title: Welcome to Normal 

Author: Steph (ILUVNYYANK@aol.com) 

Category: Romance/Humor

Pairings: Syd/Vaughn, Vaughn/Weiss friendship

Spoilers: "The Frame", "Unveiled", "Hourglass"

Rating: PG (with a strong PG-13 for an upcoming chapter)

Archive: Sure, just let me know where. 

Disclaimer: Alias and its characters do not belong to me. I do this out of 

a love for the show and no infringement is intended. 

Summary: Vaughn gets a taste of the normal life he craves. 

Note: Hey guys! Thanks for all of the feedback for "Someone Like Her".  Onto the next:  This one is unapologetically fluffy.  I've done so much angst lately, it was a refreshing change of pace.  I normally only do one-parters, but this one kept growing.  It's all done, which is the only way I can do multi-part stories anymore.   It's in four parts and I'll be posting them one at a time, with a few days in between each.  Some parts are longer than others, some have more going on than others.  That was just the best way to break them up.   Also, 'S/V try normal life' has been done before (I ain't claiming originality, just inspiration that would not be ignored!), so anything that may seem similar is pure coincidence.   So, I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought!   ~Steph

* * * * Welcome to Normal: Part 1/4 * * * *

       "You know what's scary?" Weiss said to Vaughn through a mouthful of donut. "I'm so hard up for a woman that I'd actually take one who's evil and only using me...especially one as hot as Lauren."

       Vaughn rolled his eyes and changed the channel on the television. "I seriously don't know why I even talk to you."

       With a lick of his fingers, Weiss finished his jelly donut.  "You enjoy my wacky perspective on things."

       Vaughn laid his head back on the couch and dropped the remote from his hand, settling on a baseball game.  "I just can't wait for all of this to be over. Syd and I were watching Lauren meet with her mother and all I could think of was how I want a normal life."

       "Normal life?  When was the last time you had a normal life?  When you were, like, six?  Seriously, man, your life hasn't been normal since you joined the CIA and it's not going to be normal unless you leave it."

       "I did leave it or have you forgotten?  I was a French professor for a while.  That was a normal life."

       "And by normal I can assume you mean boring."

       Vaughn sighed. "I liked teaching, but my life was boring.  I was miserable.  Going home just wasn't what I expected it to be."

       "You mean going home to Lauren."

       Vaughn looked at the television. "If it had been Sydney I was going home to, things would have been different."

       Weiss shrugged, "Do you really think you could do 'normal' for the rest of your life?  I'm talking, 9 to 5 job, mowing the lawn on Sundays, taking the kids to soccer practice, family barbecues on the weekends.  Is that what you really want?"

       Vaughn turned and looked at him.  "I've learned one thing from all of this:  the one and only thing I want is Sydney.  It doesn't matter what we're doing, I just want to be with her.  And you know what?  Spending the rest of my life doing those things with her actually sounds pretty damn good."

       "Would you invite me to the barbecues?"

       "Of course."

       "Would you have beef hot dogs, not those crappy turkey ones you're so fond of?"

       "Definitely."

       "And chips with ridges?"

       "Is there any other kind?"

       "Okay, then I'm fine with it."

       Vaughn smiled.  "People who have normal jobs and family lives don't know how great they have it.  To have your biggest problem be that you need to get the kitchen sink fixed.  Or a busy day meaning you have to go to the bank, dry cleaners and the supermarket.  I'd kill for that normalcy.  They take the little things for granted.  That monotony and routine is something they probably loathe, but I'd love to have."

       Weiss raised an eyebrow.  "Plumbing problems and a multitude of errands is your idea of exciting?"

       Vaughn nodded. "Look, I've done the traveling around the world and the getting shot at thing.  And it is exciting.  But there's something to be said for normalcy, something this life can't give us.  Waking up next to your wife and not having to wonder what secrets she's hiding from you would be pretty nice."

       "Apparently, you've never watched a Lifetime movie.  Those so-called normal wives have a closet full of secrets, too."

       Vaughn chuckled, then turned serious. "You know what I mean.  I'm tired of the lies and the secrets that come with this life.  I'm tired of risking my life day in and day out.  I want more."

       Weiss looked at Vaughn. "Are you seriously thinking of leaving the CIA again?"

       "When all of this is over, yeah."

       "And what about Sydney?  You say all you really want is her.  Well, even if you two are together, as long as she works for the CIA, you'll never have a normal life."

       "I know, that's why I want Sydney to come with me."

       Weiss raised an eyebrow.  "And do you think she will?"

       Vaughn got a faraway look in his eyes. "She told me once that she loves going to the train station.  She likes to watch normal people going to their normal jobs." He paused and swallowed hard.  "This life...it was never supposed to be permanent for her.  She had other dreams.  She wanted to be a teacher.  After everything that's happened, everything this life has taken from her, all of the risks she's taken and the sacrifices she's made...Yeah, I think she'll want that normalcy."  

       Weiss grinned. "Okay, but promise me that once you go normal, we'll still have these nice little talks.  I live for them."

       Vaughn laughed and then stood up, as he slipped into his jacket.  "It's late, I've gotta go."  

       Weiss waved goodbye with the remote. 

* * * *

       Vaughn shed his clothes, his eyes focused on his sleeping wife.  The word just about made him sick to even think about now.  He studied her peaceful figure, noting how innocent she looked.  Talk about how looks can be deceiving.  

       He crawled into bed beside her and lay on his back, eyes staring at the ceiling.  He thought back to what he and Lauren had done at her mother's house.  He still felt bad knowing that Syd had heard and knew what was happening.  He could have stopped it.  He could have said that her mother could walk in at any moment.  He could have stopped it without her suspecting a thing.  

       But he didn't.  And it wasn't because he wanted her.  Just the sight of her made him sick and her touch made his skin crawl.  No, truth be told, he got some perverse satisfaction out of knowing he was playing her, just as she had played him every time before.  In those moments, he stepped outside of his body.  He felt nothing.  He wondered if she had felt the same.

       He glanced over at Lauren as she stirred and changed positions, turning to face him.  He couldn't wait until he would no longer have to wake up to her face.  There was only one face on this earth that he ever wanted to wake up to again: Sydney's.

       He thought back to all of those mornings he'd opened his eyes and found himself looking into hers.  Such a simple pleasure.  God, he'd give anything to have that back.  

       He drifted off to sleep thinking of her...

* * * *

       Vaughn rolled over and slowly, reluctantly, pried his eyes open.  These days, he didn't like waking up to face another day of pretending.  And he certainly didn't like waking up to her.  

       His eyes focused on the face staring back at him.  But it wasn't who he expected.  

       "Hey," Sydney said with a smile.  

       Despite his confusion, he found himself returning the smile and greeting.  "Hi."

       She brought her hand up and ran it through his hair.  "Last night was amazing."

       Vaughn's eyes widened.  _'Oh my God,'_ he thought.  _'What did I do?  I want to be with Sydney, but not like this.  Not until it's all over with Lauren.'_

       He swallowed hard and was about to speak, when he noticed that her hair was different.  It was shorter and styled closer to her face.  _'When did she get a haircut?'_ he wondered.  He then noticed the absence of bangs._  'Okay, there is no way her bangs could have grown out that fast.  What's going on?'_

       Sydney linked her hand with his, running her thumb across his skin.  His gaze moved to their entwined hands, eyes widening at what he saw.  They both wore wedding rings.  Matching wedding rings.  _'What the hell is going on?!'_

       Just then, their bedroom door swung open and two bundles of energy came running in.  They jumped up on the bed and squeezed themselves in between the two of them.  Vaughn stared at them, mouth wide in confusion.   He looked over at Sydney, who was looking at the two children with a glow he had never seen before.   

       She called the boy, who looked to be about four, Billy, and the girl, who was probably around six, Lindsay.  The boy stood up and sat on Vaughn's chest.  He managed a smile, as he studied the child.  He had sandy brown hair and piercing green eyes.  It was as if Vaughn was staring at himself at that age.  He swallowed hard and glanced at the little girl, who was cradled in the crook of Sydney's arm.  She had shoulder length brown hair, chocolate eyes and the brightest smile he'd seen since...well, Sydney's.   She was the spitting image of her.

       With a deep breath, he realized he was looking at their children.  Vaughn searched his brain for some explanation.  He hadn't had anything to drink last night, so this couldn't be an alcohol-induced delusion.  Had he hit his head?  Not that he remembered.  

       Then, like a light bulb going off in his brain, he remembered the discussion he'd had with Weiss the night before:  He'd told Weiss about his wish for a normal life - a life filled with spending time with Sydney and their kids and doing the little things people hate or take for granted. 

       _'Spending the rest of my life doing those things with her actually sounds pretty damn good'_, he'd said. 

       _'Is that what this is?'_ he wondered. _'Some glimpse into the future?  Or is it what could have been if things had turned out differently?  Or is it just a dream?  Am I going to wake up at some point and find all of this gone?' _

       Vaughn looked at Sydney and the kids and smiled.  He realized right then that it didn't matter what it was, he was going to enjoy it for as long as it lasted because this was the happiest and most at peace he'd felt in years.  

       Billy bent down and licked Vaughn's forehead.  Vaughn's nose wrinkled, as Sydney and Lindsay erupted into a fit of giggles.  

       "I'm a cat, Daddy!" he said.  

       _'Daddy,'_ he thought. _'Wow, why does that feel so right?'_

       "No, you're not!" Lindsay shot back with a roll of her eyes. 

       Sydney pulled herself up into a sitting position.  "Okay, you two, go get ready for school.  I'll be down to make you breakfast in a little while."

       "O-kay," they sang, as they jumped off the bed and ran out of the room.

       Sydney watched them go, her eyes twinkling.  Then she moved to Vaughn's side and lay her head on his chest. 

       "I don't want to move," she said with a groan. "I want to stay in bed with you all day."

       Vaughn smiled and ran his hands through her hair, pleasantly surprised at how easy it was for him to fall back into that intimacy they had once shared.  

       "That can be arranged," he said.

       She tilted her head up and looked at him.  "You want to play hooky?" She then shook her head.  "I can't.  One of my classes has a paper due today.  No way am I letting them off the hook by not showing up.  And doesn't one of your classes have a test today?  I'm sure they've been up studying French all night."

       Vaughn nodded, as if he had any idea what she was talking about.  "Yeah, you're right.  We have to go in."

       Sydney nodded and then rolled on top of him, her legs straddling his waist.  She smiled at him, before bending down to place a kiss on his lips.  He threaded his fingers through her hair, pulling her deeper into the kiss, and reveling in the feeling of being with her like this again.   

       She finally pulled back and whispered into his lips, "If we don't stop now, we're never going to get to work."

       "And that's a bad thing?" he replied huskily, before capturing her lips with his again.  

       She smiled as she pulled back again, looking into his eyes, before rolling off of him and getting out of bed.  He watched her leave, a smile on his lips he was sure would last the day.

* * * *

End of Part 1

~Thanks for reading!  Hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you thought.  Part 2 coming soon!  ~Steph


	2. Welcome to Normal: Part 2

Title: Welcome to Normal 

Author: Steph (ILUVNYYANK@aol.com) 

Category: Romance/Humor

Pairings: Syd/Vaughn, Vaughn/Weiss friendship

Spoilers: "The Frame", "Unveiled", "Hourglass"

Rating: PG (with a strong PG-13 for an upcoming chapter)

Archive: Sure, just let me know where. 

Disclaimer: Alias and its characters do not belong to me. I do this out of 

a love for the show and no infringement is intended. 

Summary: Vaughn gets a taste of the normal life he craves. 

Notes:   I'm really glad you guys enjoyed the first part.  You may have caught onto "The Family Man" similarities.  I love that movie and this definitely inspired it.  I was actually going to mention that in the first part notes, but I forgot.  Good catch!

Also, you'll notice that this story now have 5 parts, instead of 4.  Well, that's what happens when something sits on your computer.  You tinker!  It was technically done, but I tinkered, added a scene here and there...and, voila, now it's 5 parts!   

Okay, now a warning:  I felt a need for a little warning about this story so that you don't all end up disappointed.  Like I said, I'm not going for originality.  I was inspired and wanted to touch on a couple of things from 'Hourglass'.  Vaughn's 'journey' (so to speak), will lead up to one of those things.  So, those of you expecting a really creative explanation for what's going on here, aren't going to get it.  It's probably exactly what you're thinking it is and it'll probably become clearer as the story progresses.  What's going on isn't important and wasn't my reason for writing this, what it leads to is.  With that said,  I think (okay, hope), you won't be disappointed with how it all turns out.    

All right, I'll shut up now!  (But there will be a quiz on the notes at the end of this part, so I sure hope you read them!)  Enjoy and please let me know what you thought!   ~Steph

* * * * Welcome to Normal: Part 2/5 * * * *

     Less than an hour later, Vaughn was dressed and completing a tour of the house.  He could hear Sydney and the kids in the kitchen as he moved from room to room.  The house was a Ranch-style.  It was decorated in soft earth tones and furnished with comfortable, durable furniture.  It was fairly neat, but the presence of children was obvious, evidenced by various toys lying here and there.  

       Vaughn walked into the kitchen, finding the children sitting at the table eating cereal and Sydney standing at the sink.  He came up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist and kissing her neck.  She closed her eyes and bent her head back, a little moan escaping from her mouth in the form of his name.

       "Michael."

       He smiled to himself, realizing that was the first time he'd ever heard her say his first name.  He loved how it sounded coming out of her mouth.  Lauren was the only one who called him that and he'd never liked how she said it...something about her accent.  And, now, he could barely stand hearing her utter his name at all.  

       _'This,'_ he thought, _'is so much better.'_

       Vaughn chuckled in her ear, as she let out another little moan.  "Careful, there are children in the room."

       Sydney smiled and opened her eyes.  She then gestured to the sink, which was filled to the brim with dirty dishes.  "Are you going to fix this tomorrow?  You said you and Eric would give it a try."

       Vaughn's eyes widened, as he recalled his conversation with Weiss.  The kitchen sink needed to be fixed...and apparently he was going to try to do it.

       "Yeah, sure.  We'll try to fix it."

       "Are you sure?" she asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.  "I don't want a repeat performance of 'The Washing Machine Incident' last year or the 'Dishwasher Debacle' of the year before."

       Vaughn laughed, acting as if he recalled those events.  He guessed from their less than flattering titles that the results hadn't been positive.

       He shook his head. "Don't worry.  We can handle it."

       Sydney nodded in an 'okay-we'll-see-manner' and then they joined their children at the kitchen table.  

       Lindsay smiled widely at Vaughn, revealing a gaping hole where a tooth had once been.  "Look, Daddy!  I lost a tooth!   I'm going to put it under my pillow for the tooth fairy tonight."

       Vaughn leaned forward to examine her mouth.  "Wow, you still have a lot of teeth left to lose.  You're going to be really rich."

       Lindsay laughed and then continued to eat her cereal, purposely slurping the milk through the empty space.  

       Sydney spoke to the kids as she buttered her toast.  "So, tonight's Family Fun Friday.  It's your choice this week, Billy.  What do you want to do?"

       _'Family Fun 'Friday?'_ Vaughn thought with a smile, _'That's so normal and, truthfully, pretty corny, it could be an episode of The Brady Bunch!' _

       Billy looked at Vaughn with wide eyes. "Hockey!"

       Vaughn couldn't help but break out in a grin.  He clapped his hands together. "Then hockey it is!"  

       "You always pick hockey," Lindsay groaned.  

       "It's my turn.  I can pick whatever I want!" he replied.

       A moment later, Lindsay jumped out of her seat and hurriedly gathered her backpack and jacket, realizing the bus would be there soon.  She then kissed Sydney on the cheek and walked over to Vaughn, giving him a butterfly kiss on the nose.  

       She smiled and whispered, "A butterfly landed on your nose."

       Vaughn smiled, realizing this was a morning ritual of theirs, and then watched her go.  He finally understood what parents meant when they talked about love at first sight with their children.  He'd fallen the moment he saw those two.  

       Sydney stood up, stuffing the last bit of toast in her mouth.  "Come on, Billy, we've got to go.  I have to drop you off at pre-school and then Mommy needs to get to her class on time."

      Billy nodded and lifted his cereal bowl to his mouth so he could drink the last of the milk.  Sydney handed Vaughn a piece of paper.  "Since your first class isn't until nine, I thought you could run a few errands for me.  It's all there on the list." She then added, "I know, busy day…as usual!"

       Vaughn looked at the list: Deposit checks in bank, pick up dry cleaning, get milk at supermarket.  He swallowed hard, realizing those were the exact errands he had mentioned to Weiss.  

       _'This is busy,'_ he thought.  _'This is normal busy.'_  

       Sydney smiled and then bent down, placing a lingering kiss on his lips.  "See you later."

       Vaughn watched her and Billy leave.  He then realized that his wife and children (he was starting to get used to those terms) had left their dirty breakfast dishes all over the table.  He proceeded to pick them up and pile them in the already full sink.

* * * *

       Weiss opened the door to the classroom and walked in, taking only a few steps before stopping and leaning against the wall.  He smiled, crossing his arms over his chest. 

       "Remember, papers due on Monday.  No excuses," Vaughn said to his class.  

       It hadn't taken him long to fall back into the routine of teaching.  Of course, someone asking him about the paper due on Monday sure helped.  

       As he turned, he caught sight of Weiss standing by the door and offered him a close-mouthed smile.   He was relieved to see his best friend.  Maybe he would have some answers.  

       Weiss's gaze scanned the rows of seats filled with students.  Curiously, the first few seats of each row were comprised entirely of beautiful, young women, who were staring intently at Vaughn.  Weiss suppressed the urge to laugh.  

       A moment later, the students gathered their belongings and began to file out of the classroom.   Many of the young women that Weiss had noticed before made their way up to Vaughn as he packed up his things.  

       "Um, Professor Vaughn, what are your office hours today?  I, like, really need help with my paper," a pretty blonde, wearing a skirt that was too short and shirt that was too tight, asked.  

       "Me too," a red-head piped up.  

       "Yeah, me too," a brunette added, in between popping her bubble gum.  

       Weiss couldn't help but chuckle.  Not a male in the bunch.  

       Vaughn looked up from his things and smiled at the women, as he cocked his left eyebrow, "I've got office hours from 3 to 5 today, which you'd know if you bothered to check your syllabus."  At least, that's how he'd found out.

       The girls giggled and then offered him good-byes.  They passed by Weiss as if he weren't even there.  

       "Do you really need help with your paper?" the red-head asked the blonde.

       "Are you kidding?  I finished it three days ago.  Easy 'A'."  She smiled widely, flashing pearly whites, "But he doesn't need to know that."  She paused and looked at the red-head and brunette.  "How about you guys?"

       "Finished it yesterday.  No problem," the red-head replied.

       "Done two days ago.  I wrote it in my sleep," the brunette answered.  

       All three girls laughed and exited the classroom, as Weiss shook his head in amusement. 

      He approached Vaughn, who was still packing up, and gestured in the direction of the door.  "Those girls don't need help with their papers. They just want a little office time with Professor Vaughn.  What exactly goes on in that office of yours?"

       Vaughn looked up and smiled, "They do this every time I assign a paper."  He had no way of really knowing that, but he figured it was a pretty good guess.  

       "Hmm, I wonder why?  Those girls adore you.  Seriously, you're like Harrison Ford in 'Indiana Jones'.  I was looking for the girl with the stuff written on her eyelids."

       Vaughn simply shrugged and shoved a folder into his bag, "What can I say?  I'm irresistible."

       "Yeah, you have a beautiful wife and you still have a bunch of gorgeous 20-year olds drooling all over you.  I've got nothing and they walk by me like I'm The Invisible Man."

       Vaughn picked up his bag and patted Weiss on the arm, as they began to walk, "I don't think anyone could mistake you for The Invisible Man."  

       "Was that a fat joke?  'Cause that hurt, especially since I lost 25 pounds...again.  Do you realize I haven't had a donut in three months?"

       "Impressive," Vaughn replied, as he pushed the door open and walked outside.

       "So, where do you want to go to lunch?" Weiss asked.  

       Vaughn looked at his watch.  "Some place close."

       "How about 'DeFranco's?  It's right across the street."

        Vaughn nodded and they crossed the street.  Three minutes later, they were seated with menus.  

       Vaughn couldn't concentrate on his menu.  He couldn't stop thinking about the last conversation he remembered having with Weiss.  He kept looking down at his menu, then looking up at Weiss.  He repeated this several times until Weiss finally dropped his menu in annoyance.  

       "What are you doing?  I feel like you're trying to flirt with me."

       Vaughn placed his menu down and cleared his throat.  He leaned forward a bit, keeping his voice low.  "How long have I been married?"

       Weiss raised an eyebrow.  "What, did you forget an anniversary or something?"

       "No...I mean, I don't think so."

       "Well, what are you asking me for then?  It's your marriage, not mine."

       Vaughn sighed. "Lindsay's...six, right."  He tried to make that sound like more of a statement than a question.  

       "Right."

       "So, we've been married at least that long."

       "Did you fall down and hit your head?"

       Vaughn ran a hand down his face and then decided to try the truth. "Look, I don't know what's going on.  Yesterday, I was unhappily married to a traitor and today...today, I'm living my dream life."

       "Are you talking about Lauren?  Vaughn, you divorced her 10 years ago.  You and Sydney have been married over 8 years.  Does October 1st ring a bell?  It's your wedding anniversary."

       _'October 1st,'_ he thought.  _'The day Sydney and I met.  The day the watch stopped.  That's our anniversary.'_

       Weiss leaned forward.  "Are you feeling all right?  It's as if you just woke up from a 10 year coma."

       Vaughn shook his head. "Have you ever had a dream that seemed so real that when you woke up, you thought it had actually happened?"

       "Well, there was this one time with me, three supermodels and a hot tub that seemed pretty damn real."

       "No, I'm talking about real events, things that could actually happen in real life."

       "Ouch, that hurt."

       Vaughn sighed.  "Have you ever had a dream and thought 'Am I in a dream right now?' while you were having it?"

       Weiss's eyes narrowed. "I have absolutely no idea what you just said and, quite frankly, you're starting to freak me out.  Can we just order?  I've got to be back for a briefing with Jack in 45 minutes."

       "So you still work at the CIA?"

       Weiss raised his eyebrows.  "Since the last time I saw you, which was yesterday?  Yes, yes I do."

       Vaughn nodded and then forced himself to read the menu.  A few minutes later, the waitress came and they ordered.  

       Weiss looked at him.  "So, what time do you want me to come over to help you fix the sink tomorrow?"

       "I don't know.  1 o'clock maybe."  He paused and then asked cautiously.  "Have you ever actually fixed a sink before...or have I?"

       Weiss chuckled.  "You?  Yeah, right.   Pretty boy doesn't want to get his hands dirty.  That's why you need me."

       "I have no problem getting my hands dirty." He then added, "So, you have fixed a sink before?"

       "Well, no, but how hard could it be?  I'm a whiz at carpentry, so plumbing can't be that much harder."

       "Carpentry?  You couldn't even build a gingerbread house with one of those kits," Vaughn replied.  

       He knew one thing hadn't changed:  His best friend was not a whiz at carpentry.

       Weiss waved a finger at him. "Hey, that kit was defective and you know it."

       Vaughn simply smiled.  After a moment he asked, "So, it won't be like the dishwasher and the washing machine then, right?  I mean, those did involve plumbing, too."  Vaughn ventured that Weiss had assisted in those apparent fiascos.

       "What, did Sydney get on you about those?  Okay, dishwashers are supposed to make that sound and washing machines are supposed to shake...violently."

       All Vaughn could do was shake his head, not at all encouraged.  

       Their food arrived a moment later and Weiss ripped into his hamburger like a lion into its prey.  He spoke to him with his mouth full.  "So, tonight's Family Fun Friday, right?  What do you guys have planned?"

       Even with his mouth full, Vaughn could tell he was mocking him.

       "What's wrong with Family Fun Friday?"

       Weiss shrugged. "What?  I didn't say anything."

       "It was in your tone."

       "Can you have a tone with a mouth full of cow?"

       "Apparently."

       Weiss dropped his hamburger and swallowed.  "Well, come on, Family Fun Friday?  How corny is that?"

       Vaughn felt the same about the corniness, but didn't care.  He was suddenly becoming a big fan of corniness.  Of course, he still felt the need to refute the accusation.  

       "Since when is spending time with your family corny?"

       "It's not.  Naming the time using alliteration is."  Vaughn laughed, unable to argue with that, as Weiss went on.  "I know, I know, Lindsay came up with the name."

       Vaughn took a bite out of his BLT and finally answered his question, "Hockey."

       Weiss smiled. "Billy's turn." He then wiped at his mouth and took a drink of his soda, as he shook his head. "You know, I don't know what happened to you and Sydney. You used to be these cool spies, traveling around the globe and kicking ass.  Now you travel around town, dropping kids off at soccer practice and ballet recitals, and the only thing you're kicking is that crappy lawn mower of yours."

       Vaughn shrugged his shoulders as nonchalantly as possible, thinking he had been that person less than 24 hours before, and replied, "Things change I guess."

       Weiss nodded, his tone suddenly turning serious. "Yeah, they do...because this is the happiest I've ever seen you or Sydney.  Normal agrees with you, man."

       Vaughn smiled.  "Yeah, it does.

* * * *

       After his last class, Vaughn had twenty minutes to spare before his office hours began.  He decided to do a little detective work.  He assumed Sydney also taught at UCLA.  He pulled open one of the drawers in his desk and began to dig through it.  Not finding what he was looking for, he closed that drawer and moved to the next.  He lifted a few folders and then smiled when he came upon a booklet: UCLA Staff Manual.

       He opened it up to the table of contents and ran his finger down the page.  He stopped about three quarters down:  Staff Directory.  Vaughn turned to page 54.  The directory was divided into departments.  He turned to the English department section and ran his finger down the beginning of the list.   He sighed, finding no Bristow on it.  His eyes narrowed after a moment, though, and he turned the page, running his finger down the rest of the names.  He smiled when he came to one at the end of the list:  Sydney Bristow-Vaughn.  

       She'd hyphenated.   He didn't know why, but just the thought made him happy.  

       He looked at her contact information: phone number, e-mail address and office number.  He then closed the book, placed it back in the drawer and exited the room.   

       The English department wasn't far from the Foreign Language department.    His eyes scanned the numbers on each door, before stopping in front of E26.   A smile crossed his lips as he read the small plaque on the wall beside it:  Sydney Bristow-Vaughn.  Associate Professor of English.  

       He looked in the window, but found the office dark and empty.  He decided to walk the halls, figuring she was probably teaching a class nearby.  He casually strolled down the halls, unobtrusively peaking into the classrooms as he moved along.   

       He finally stopped in his tracks, his gaze landing on her.   Her back was turned to him and she was gesturing to something on the board.  For a moment, he felt frozen in place, mesmerized by her movements and the command she radiated.   He then leaned up against the wall, so that he couldn't be seen, and listened to her.  

       "I know, I know...I see you guys looking at the clock and squirming in your seats like five year olds.  I've kept you late again.  I'll let you go in a minute."

       Vaughn grinned at the chorus of soft groans.  

       "I just wanted to remind you, nice teacher that I am, that your papers are due one week from today.  Now, I know you are all busy and, having been a busy college student myself, I understand waiting until the last minute."  Vaughn chuckled at that.  Busy didn't begin to describe her college days.  "But I have office hours starting right after class, so if you want to run something by me, feel free to stop by.  I know, I'm kidding myself if I think you're really go to work on in it this weekend."  They laughed in agreement and she sighed good-naturedly, waving her hands at them. "Go, get out of here.  Enjoy your weekend."

       They all proceeded to bolt from the room.   Vaughn waited until the last student had left, before quietly entering the room.  She was so engrossed in gathering her things that she didn't notice him enter or hear him quietly close the door behind him.  It wasn't until he was standing next to her desk that she looked up and jumped a little, startled.

       "Oh, you scared me!" she said, laughing.  

       He raised an eyebrow playfully. "You know, there was a time when nothing got by you."

      She smiled and shrugged her shoulders.  "Well, I find it best not to be in attack-mode at work.  Don't you?"

       He nodded and then leaned down to kiss her.  "Have I ever told you how sexy you are when you're teaching?" he asked, his breath tickling her lips.  

       "Just about everyday," she replied.

       _'I'm not surprised,'_ he thought.  

       As he watched and listened to her, he knew she was born to do this.  She seemed so content and at peace with her job now.  He couldn't have been more proud or happier for her.  

       She stood then and began to erase the board.  Vaughn watched her movements: how her hair swayed back and forth, how her black skirt hugged every curve as she moved.  Everything about her drove him crazy with desire.  

       Unable to resist, he came up behind her and placed his hands on her waist, spinning her around to face him.  He then pressed her gently up against the board.  She laughed, as he kissed her lips and then moved to her jawline.  

      "You know, someone could walk in here at any moment and see us."

       "Let them," he replied against her skin, marveling at how he was finally able to be with her like this again.        

       "I have office hours right now.  And so do you," she replied, closing her eyes as he hit upon a particularly sensitive spot behind her ear.  

       "I know."  

       Sydney finally shook her head to clear it and them squeezed out from beneath him.  She grinned at him.  "You, Professor Vaughn, undoubtedly have a gaggle of pretty girls waiting for you in your office right now."

       He smiled. "Maybe one or two."

       She counted off on her fingers. "A blonde, a red-head, a brunette."

       "Are you jealous?" he asked, closing the distance between them again and absentmindedly grabbing a piece of her hair to twist between his thumb and forefinger.  "Because," he added, "there is only one brunette I care anything about."

       She smiled and asked softly, "And the blonde and the red-head?"

       "Well, a guy's gotta have some variety," he replied with a straight face.  

       She laughed and gently swatted his arm, before grabbing her things, giving him one last kiss and whispering in his ear, "See you at home."  She then brushed past him, his eyes following her until she disappeared from view.  

       He could still feel her lips on his.  Every time she kissed him, he wondered how he had ever gone all this time living without it.    

* * * *

End of Part 2

~Thanks for reading!  Hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you thought.  Part 3 coming soon.  ~Steph


	3. Welcome to Normal: Part 3

Title: Welcome to Normal 

Author: Steph (ILUVNYYANK@aol.com) 

Category: Romance/Humor

Pairings: Syd/Vaughn, Vaughn/Weiss friendship

Spoilers: "The Frame", "Unveiled", "Hourglass"

Rating: PG (with a strong PG-13 for an upcoming chapter)

Archive: Sure, just let me know where. 

Disclaimer: Alias and its characters do not belong to me. I do this out of 

a love for the show and no infringement is intended. 

Summary: Vaughn gets a taste of the normal life he craves. 

Note: Hey guys! Thanks for all of the wonderful feedback!   You guys are great.  So, this chapter used to be a lot shorter, but I tinkered and now it's longer than 4 and 5.  Well, for now at least!  I can't stop tinkering!  That's what happens when you have the week off from work.  I guess it's a good thing I go back tomorrow!  I'm glad I played around with this story though. I think it's better than it was originally and has more heart and depth.  Anyway, hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought!   ~Steph

* * * * Welcome to Normal: Part 3/5 * * * *

       Vaughn walked in the door at five thirty, completely exhausted.  He'd forgotten how much teaching takes out of you.   He smiled to himself, thinking about how he used to feel the same way after a grueling mission halfway around the world and a painfully long plane ride.  How is it possible, he wondered, to feel equally exhausted from such vastly different experiences?

       He dropped his bag by the front door and sank into the recliner in the living room.  He laid his head back and lifted his hand to loosen his tie.  He felt himself drifting off to sleep, when he heard footsteps approaching.  

       Sydney stopped in front of him.  "We have a problem."

       Vaughn reluctantly opened his eyes.  "What?  No how was your day?  No welcome home kiss?"

       A smile crept across her lips.  She bent down and gave him a smoldering kiss.  He suddenly felt his energy increase and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her onto his lap.  She laughed into his lips and finished loosening his tie.  He was hoping to continue what they'd started in bed that morning and in her classroom that afternoon.   

       "How was your day?" she asked, her voice muffled against his skin as she began to kiss a path down his neck.  

       Vaughn had lost all train of thought.  He could have traveled to Mars and back that day, and he wouldn't have been able to recall it. 

       _That's_ what she did to him.  _That's_ what she'd always done to him.    

       _'Yeah,'_ he thought, _'coming home to Sydney is certainly different than coming home to Lauren.'_

       "Much, much better now," he replied, as he tangled his hands in her hair and found her lips again.  

       Sydney smiled and then gently placed her hands on his chest, pulling back and jumping off his lap.   Vaughn's eyes widened in surprise and confusion.  

       She placed her hands on her hips and grinned at him. 

       "Uh, what just happened?" he asked, his voice cracking on the last syllable.

       "You wanted a kiss and a 'how was your day?', so I gave you one."

       He swallowed, shifting in his seat. "Yes, yes, I did, but I was kind of hoping we could expand on the kiss part."

       "I told you.  We have a problem," she said with a shake of her head.

       He nodded in understanding. "So, that whole thing right there?  That was just to temporarily appease me and get my attention?"

       "Yup."

       "That's evil."

       "But it worked," she replied with a smile. "Actually, it's worked for eight years, yet you still fall for it every time."

       Vaughn could still taste her on his lips.  _'I can understand why,'_ he thought to himself.

       He finally accepted the fact that there was not going to be anymore of _that_ right now and sat up straight, focusing his attention on her.

       "So, what's the problem?"

       "Mr. Goldy died."

       Vaughn could tell from her tone and the use of the word 'died' that this was to be met with some sort of sympathetic response, even though he had no idea who Mr. Goldy was.

       "That's terrible.  What happened?"

       She shrugged.  "I don't know."

       "Well, how did you find out?   Did a family member or friend of his call?"

       Sydney chuckled. "Yeah, Mrs. Goldy called."

       Vaughn thought the chuckle to be a bit inappropriate under the circumstances, but let it slide.  "What did she say?"

       Sydney couldn't help but laugh out loud now.  "Nothing!  She's a goldfish and not blessed with the gift of speech!"

       Vaughn's face reddened in embarrassment.  He didn't quite know what to say.  "Oh."

       Sydney shook her head, her tone playfully reprimanding, "How could you joke about such a thing?"

       Vaughn swallowed.  "Sorry."

       Syd's expression grew serious. "Actually, Billy's taking it really hard.  Lindsay's overjoyed that her fish, Mr. Goldy's grieving widow, survived, but Billy found Mr. Goldy."

       "He found him dead?"

       Sydney nodded.  "And I found him trying to revive him."

       Vaughn had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. "What, he was doing CPR?"

       Sydney nodded, as she suppressed her own laugh.  "I found him with Mr. Goldy halfway in his mouth.  He was trying to do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on him."

       Vaughn nearly burst out laughing at that. "What's next?  Chest compressions with a Q-tip?"

       Sydney swatted his arm, as she too fought to control her laughter. "It's not funny.  I tried talking to him about it, but he wouldn't listen.  He won't even let go of him.  Why don't you give it a try?"

       That finally stopped Vaughn's laughter.  His mouth dropped open. _'Me?'_

       "Me?"

       "Yeah, you know he adores you.  Just make him see that this is a natural part of life.  If you don't, I'm pretty sure he'll be sleeping with that thing tonight."

       Vaughn was about to protest again, when he realized that this was expected of him.  It was a fatherly thing to do.   

       _'I'm suddenly Bill Cosby',_ he thought.  

       The only problem was that he had no idea how to talk to a kid about death.  

       He slowly stood up and placed a kiss on Sydney's cheek, saying as more of a confidence-builder for himself than to soothe her, "Don't worry, he'll be fine."

       Sydney nodded and watched him leave the room.  Vaughn found Billy in his hockey-themed bedroom, sitting on his bed, cradling the fish in the palm of his hand.  He hesitantly sat down next to him.  Billy didn't acknowledge him, his gaze focused solely on the fish. 

       "Mommy told me what happened to Mr. Goldy.  I'm sorry."

       "He's just sleeping," Billy replied, as he used his free hand to stroke the fish.

       Vaughn ran his sweaty palms over his pants. "I think you know that's not true or you wouldn't have tried to save him."

       Billy lifted his head, his green eyes meeting Vaughn's.  "It didn't work," he said with a sad shake of his head.

       "There was nothing you could do.  He was already gone."

       "Mommy says I have to say good-bye to him now."

       Vaughn nodded.  "That's what people do when something they love dies.  They say good-bye.  But that doesn't mean they ever forget.  That's what memories are for, right?"

       Billy nodded.  "I guess."

       Vaughn swallowed.  "You know, I had a hamster when I was about your age, maybe a little older.  I named him Hammy."

       "That's not a very good name."

       Vaughn almost countered with a remark about the lack of creativity involved in naming a goldfish Mr. Goldy, before remembering he was four.  

       He shrugged. "Maybe it wasn't the best name.  Anyway, we did everything together.  I took him everywhere I went. I even got in trouble for taking him to school one day.  He escaped and ended up in Lisa Delmer's lunch."

       Billy giggled, bringing a smile to Vaughn's face.  After a moment, he went on, the smile now gone.  "Then, one day, I came home from school and I found him dead.  I was so upset.  I didn't even want to bury him.  But then my father talked to me.  He said that Hammy wouldn't be at peace until I Iet him go.  He said he needed to go to Hamster Heaven."

       "Hamster Heaven?" Billy asked, wrinkling his nose.

       "Yup, Hamster Heaven.  And I bet there's a heaven for fish, too."

       Billy shook his head, his hair flying back and forth.  "Nope, you're wrong and so was your dad."

       Vaughn's eyes widened, wondering if he'd said the wrong thing.  Then Billy looked up at him with big eyes and said softly, "Pets don't go to a different heaven.  They go to people heaven and wait for us."

       Vaughn smiled in relief and nodded. "You know, you just may be right."  He was then silent for a long moment before going on. "So, are you ready to say good-bye?"

       Billy bobbed his head.  He then kissed the fish and whispered, "Good-bye, Mr. Goldy.  I know, I wish it'd been your wife, too."

       Vaughn couldn't help but smile at that, as Billy reluctantly handed the goldfish over to him.   He took it in his palm and then pulled his son to his side, placing a kiss on his forehead.  "It'll be okay."

       Billy nodded and then jumped off the bed.  "Let's go play hockey."

       Vaughn raised his eyebrows in surprise at the quick change of mood.  Four-year olds, he realized right then, were resilient...and just a little bit fickle.  

       He watched as Billy ran out of the room and let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.  He then smiled to himself, proud that he'd survived his first real fatherly duty.

* * * *

       The Vaughns stood opposite each other on the ice: Mother/daughter vs. father/son.

       They had the whole rink to themselves.  Apparently, Vaughn was friends with the manager of the rink and, once a month, when it was Billy's turn to pick, he always chose hockey.  So they had it on reserve every four weeks.  

       Vaughn looked down at his son, who stood swimming in one of his old L.A. Kings jerseys.  Billy stuck his tongue out at Lindsay.  "Me and Daddy are going to kill you and Mommy!"

       Lindsay returned the gesture.  "Not if we kill you first!"

       Sydney suppressed a laugh.  "Okay, you two, enough with the killing talk.  We're here to have fun."

       "And to win!" Billy yelled.

       Vaughn shrugged at Syd.  "The boy's got a champion's will, Syd...just like his father."

       Sydney smiled.  "You mean he doesn't know how to lose...just like his father."

       Vaughn offered her a toothless grin, as he stepped forward, nearly closing the distance between them, except for the kids who stood as their obstacle.  "You're right, I don't know how to lose because I never have."

       Syd leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss, over a chorus of 'ewws' from the kids.  "Well, first time for everything."

       She then distracted Vaughn with another kiss and took possession of the hockey puck.  

       He shook his head, an amused smile on his lips.  "If she uses that strategy, then I don't have a chance," he muttered.

       "Go, Mommy!" Lindsay cheered, as Sydney raced toward their goal.  She easily hit the puck into the unblocked goal.  Lindsay skated towards her and gave her a high five.  She then turned to face her brother.  "See, girls are better than boys!"

       Billy skated over on wobbly legs and slyly stole the puck away, as he distracted his sister with a clever 'nuh uh'.  He then hit it to Vaughn, who raced toward the other side of the rink with the puck.  

       Sydney followed close behind, trying to get to the goal before he did.  When she realized it was a losing battle, she decided to try a different strategy.   She wrapped her arms around Vaughn's waist and spun him around, gently knocking him to the ice and then landing on top of him.  

       He smiled up at her, panting.  "I'm pretty sure that was illegal."

       "Maybe."

       "What are you teaching your children by using such unfair tactics?" he asked, as he lifted his hand and absentmindedly ran his thumb across her jawbone.  

       She leaned down, her hair tickling his face, and whispered in his ear, "Whoever said life is fair?"

       Vaughn managed to reply, despite the feeling her breath against his skin stirred within him.  "That's a mature response."

       He then lifted his head up and kissed her.  Soon, they felt a presence near them.  

       "GA-ross," Lindsay said with a wrinkle of her nose, her brother standing by her side and nodding in agreement.

       Sydney and Vaughn separated and looked up at their children.  They then looked back at each other, the matching twinkle in their eyes indicating they were thinking the same thing.

       Before the kids had a chance to react, their parents had pulled them down onto the ice, assaulting them with tickles and kisses.  

       As Vaughn looked at his laughing wife and children, he realized he never wanted this to end.  _'Whatever this is, I want to live in it forever,'_ he thought.

* * * *  

       Sydney pulled a sleeping Billy out of the car, as Vaughn removed a sleepy Lindsay.   They entered the house and walked to the kids' bedrooms.  Vaughn watched as Sydney placed Billy in bed, not bothering to undress him.  She then put the covers over him and placed a soft kiss on his forehead.  Vaughn smiled at the sight.  He always knew she'd be an amazing mother.

       He carried Lindsay into her bedroom, Sydney following behind him.  He placed her on the bed and pulled the covers over her.  

       Not quite asleep yet, she muttered groggily.  "Tooth."

       Vaughn looked at Sydney and she nodded.  "She wants to put her tooth under her pillow for the tooth fairy."

       Sydney reached into her nighttable and pulled a baggy out that contained the tooth.  She then slipped it under her pillow.  

       She stepped back and wrapped her arm around Vaughn's waist.  He looked down at her and whispered, "So, how long do we wait before the tooth fairy comes?"

       Sydney studied her daughter.  "She's asleep now.  You can take the tooth and put five dollars under her pillow."

       Vaughn's mouth dropped open.  _'Five dollars!'_  he thought. _'I got a quarter when I was a kid!'_

       He eventually pulled out his wallet and took a five dollar bill out.  He then carefully slipped his hand under the pillow and pulled the baggy with the tooth out, quickly replacing it with the money.

       Sydney smiled and spoke softly.  "See, those spy skills still come in handy every now and then."

       Vaughn nodded with a grin and leaned down to place a kiss on his daughter's nose, just as she had done that morning.  

       They then exited the room and walked downstairs.  Sydney collapsed on the family room couch, emitting an exaggerated sigh. Vaughn found himself wandering around the room, studying it.  He'd checked it out only briefly during his tour of the house.  This was his favorite room.  It seemed to best represent the family.  It had a fireplace, a large television, a broken-in sectional and a supply of toys.  It also had a multitude of pictures, either hanging on the wall or sitting on shelves.   

       Vaughn looked at each picture, completely captivated by them.  He smiled at one of Lindsay when she was about two.  It was a close-up of her face, which was covered entirely in chocolate ice cream.   The one next to it was of Billy.  It was fairly recent, less than a year he guessed.  He was clothed in a very large button down shirt and pants and huge shoes, the bag Vaughn used when he taught in his hand.  Vaughn realized he was pretending to be him.  He shook his head, amazed by how much one picture could say.

       He moved a few feet down, finding one of Lindsay and Billy on the swings and one of the whole family at Disney World.  He then moved to the mantel over the fireplace.  His breath caught in his chest at the sight of the picture at the center of the mantel.  He slowly moved to stand in front of it and then lifted his hand to pick it up.   

       It was their wedding picture.  He was in a charcoal tux and Sydney was in a strapless ivory silk gown, her hair swept up into a mass of curls.  As he looked at her, he knew there had never been a more beautiful bride.   They were standing below an archway of wildflowers, the ocean behind them.  He stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist.    His head was bent slightly, looking down at her, and hers was tilted up, looking at him.  They both had the biggest smiles he'd ever seen.  He couldn't get over how happy they looked.  How happy he looked.

       He ran his fingers over the cool glass, tracing the outline of Sydney's face.  He felt a sudden pang of sadness as he looked at them.  He had no memory of this day.  He had no memory of that happiness.  He couldn't recall any of the memories represented in the photos.  And the birth of his children?  They must have been the happiest days of his life and he didn't remember a thing about them.

       He swallowed, thinking about the word 'remember'.   Truthfully, he knew there was nothing to remember.  This wasn't his life, not really.  He had gotten used to this life and tried not to think about it, but he knew this wasn't his reality.   He only hoped that if it were a dream, it would eventually come true.   

       He'd felt Sydney's eyes on him as he looked at the pictures.  She hadn't said a word, but now stood beside him.  She smiled, looking at the picture. 

       He spoke, his eyes still focused on the photograph. "Our wedding video.  We haven't watched that in a while."

       Everyone had a wedding video, so he figured that wasn't too much of a stretch.  She looked up at him and smiled. "No, we haven't."

       "And the births of Lindsay and Billy," he added, hoping they had videotaped them.     

       He felt so happy in this life, but he now realized there was a huge void.  He wanted to live those moments in some way.   

       Sydney raised her eyebrows.  "I guess you're feeling nostalgic, huh?"

       He nodded and looked down at her, meeting her eyes.  "I guess so."

       Sydney walked over to a shelf next to the television and removed two videos.  She put the first one in and then sat down.  Vaughn settled next to her, placing his arm around her shoulders.

       He could feel a lump form in his throat, as the images flashed across the screen.  He watched as Sydney walked down the aisle toward him.  In that moment, he finally understood what people meant about brides glowing.   Their eyes focused on only each other as she approached him.   Vaughn could tell how happy he was.  What a difference from when he'd married Lauren.  That day, he'd been a bundle of nerves, sweating through two shirts and nearly vomiting on the ring bearer.  

       He watched as they joined hands, looked into each other's eyes and exchanged vows. They then shared their first kiss as husband and wife.  Their hands were linked tightly together as they strolled down the aisle, smiling and laughing all the way down.  

       The reception was next.  It was outside and by the ocean.   He watched as family and friends gathered around the dance floor for their first dance.  He pulled Sydney close to him, wrapping his arms around her waist.  She snaked hers around his neck and then rested her head on his shoulder.  They both closed their eyes and swayed to the song "When You Say Nothing At All" by Alison Krauss.   Vaughn knew, in that moment, they were the only two people on earth. 

       He marveled at how well the words to the song fit them.  From the beginning of their relationship, before they were even together, they could say so much to each other without saying a word.  A smile, a touch...their eyes meeting across the room.  Things hadn't changed.

       He continued to watch, as he moved his mouth close to Sydney's ear and whispered something.

       Sydney snuggled closer to him on the couch and looked up at him with a smile, "You decided to defy the song and say something to me.  Do you remember what you said?"   He froze for a moment, thinking she expected him to answer.  But she went on after a brief pause, "You said, '_This_ is the happiest day of my life.'"

       Vaughn knew exactly why he'd emphasized the word 'this' when saying that to her.    He still hated agreeing with Lauren when she'd said that in Richmond.  He knew Sydney had heard it and that it must have hurt her.  He hoped she knew it was a lie, said to keep up pretenses, but he still wished he had said something to her about it when they discussed the situation later on.  

       He met her eyes now and said softly, "And it was."

       She nodded and smiled. "Of course, now we have a three way tie."  She held up the video with the birth of their children.   

       They watched the rest of their wedding video and then Sydney put the other video in.  Vaughn focused on Sydney's round form, lying in bed.   He couldn't believe she had ever looked like that, that she'd ever had a child growing inside of her.  The pangs of sadness returned, as he realized he'd missed all of the important events of the pregnancy and the anticipation of the birth.  

       He shook his head and refocused on the screen.  Sydney's hair was sweaty and plastered to her forehead, but she still managed to look unbelievably gorgeous.   Vaughn was taping the whole thing and, therefore, unseen, but you could make out his hand holding hers tightly and hear him whispering encouragement.   The video went on for a while, until, with a more than a few hard pushes, Lindsay came into the world.   

       Vaughn watched Sydney's face, as the nurse placed their daughter in her arms.  He realized right then that she had never looked more beautiful to him.   The camera lost focus for a moment, as Vaughn apparently gave the camera to a nurse and moved next to his wife and daughter.  

       Vaughn's eyes focused on his face on the screen.  _He stared at his daughter, completely mesmerized by her, before placing his finger in her little hand.   He then smiled and kissed Sydney's forehead, whispering, "She looks just like you."_

       Vaughn could feel Sydney's hand find his and squeeze, as they watched the images.  There was a little bit more, until it faded to black and then new images came on a moment later.  Sydney's hair was a little bit shorter this time and Vaughn was now in front of the camera.  

       His brow furrowed, as he wondered who was shooting this.  A familiar voice answered his question.

       _"I don't have to be here for the gross parts, do I?" Weiss asked._

       _Vaughn and Sydney shook their heads vigorously.  Vaughn spoke, "Actually, I have no idea why you're still here.  I only asked you to drop off the camera."_

_       "Oh.  So, I'll take that as a 'no' then."_

_       "That's a no," Vaughn replied.  _

_       "Good, because I watched that Maternity Ward show once and I couldn't eat for a week afterwards."_

_       "Sounds like a good diet," Vaughn said with a chuckle._

       _Weiss laughed and then stuck his face into the camera.  "Hi, new baby.  I'm your Uncle Eric.  Take it from me, you're getting some good parents.  They might be a little sickening with all the touchy-feely crap, but it's a lot better than my parents...where intimacy means pushing your spouse off your side of the bed.  Anyway, welcome to the world, kid."_

       _With that, Weiss handed the camera to Vaughn and left.  It wasn't long after that Sydney began pushing.   A few hard pushes welcomed Billy to that world.  The doctor placed Billy in Sydney's arms and then Vaughn moved next to them, turning the camera to catch it all.   _

       Sydney smiled down at her son and then looked up at Vaughn.  "He looks just like you."

       Vaughn couldn't take his eyes off the screen.  He could actually feel himself holding his breath.  He then watched as Weiss snuck Lindsay into the room to meet her new brother.  

       And there they all sat.  Smiling like fools.  That was their family.

       The screen faded to black and Sydney hit stop.  She then turned to him and smiled, saying softly, "We're very lucky."

       He nodded and replied in a whisper, "Yeah, we are."

       But he still couldn't help but feel sad at missing it all.  He wanted to live those moments, he wanted to have those memories to remember them by.  

       Sydney then stood and offered him her hand.  He slipped his hand in hers and followed his wife to their bedroom.

       Vaughn quickly changed and got into bed.  He watched Sydney go through her nightly routine.  His eyes followed her as she walked back and forth across the room.  His gaze focused on her as she brushed through her hair.  

       _'I could certainly get used to this,'_ he thought.

       Sydney soon joined him in bed, sliding her body up close to his.  She placed her head on his shoulder and draped her arm across his chest.  

       "I love you," she whispered sleepily. 

       The words made him smile from ear-to-ear, having never actually heard her say them before.  

       "I love you, too," he whispered.

       He watched as she drifted off to sleep.  He was reluctant to do the same though, for fear that when he woke this life would be gone.  But, soon, fatigue overtook him.

* * * *

End of Part 3

~Thanks for reading!  Hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you thought.  Part 4 coming soon.  ~Steph    


	4. Welcome to Normal: Part 4

Title: Welcome to Normal: Part 4

Author: Steph (ILUVNYYANK@aol.com) 

Category: Romance/Humor

Pairings: Syd/Vaughn, Vaughn/Weiss friendship

Spoilers: "The Frame", "Unveiled", "Hourglass"

**Rating: Strong PG-13** (see note below for more)

Archive: Sure, just let me know where. 

Disclaimer: Alias and its characters do not belong to me. I do this out of 

a love for the show and no infringement is intended. 

Summary: Vaughn gets a taste of the normal life he craves. 

Note: Hey guys! Thanks for all of the wonderful feedback!   You guys really are great!  I'm so glad you're enjoying it.  More tinkering has taken place of course, so this part is now longer than I expected it to be. But it moves faster than the previous part because of the action in it.   Two things about this chapter:

- The sink part is in here.  I knowing nothing about sinks. How to turn them on is about the extent of my knowledge on the subject.  So, obviously, I have no idea how to fix one.  I actually thought I'd be a good little fanfic writer and do some research on the net, but after a little while I was like 'screw it'.  So, I'm sure this is all totally inaccurate.  It's standard sitcom stuff.

- This chapter has a **strong PG-13** rating.  I don't think it reaches R, but some might think it approaches a soft R.   IMO, it's doesn't, just strong PG-13, but I suck at judging that stuff, so I thought I'd warn you.  

Anyway, hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought!  :) ~Steph

* * * * Welcome to Normal: Part 4/5 * * * *

       Vaughn hesitantly opened his eyes, bracing himself for the possibility that he might find Lauren lying next to him.  Instead, he found Sydney, sleeping soundly.  

       He breathed a sigh of relief.  _'It's all still here.'_

       He smiled as he watched her, bringing his hand up to caress her cheek and absentmindedly wondering if she still talked in her sleep.  He couldn't stop looking at her, marveling at her beauty.   Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, her lips parted ever so slightly.  She moaned softly and moved her head closer to the edge of the pillow...closer to him.    

       He moved his hand to her forehead, pushing a stray piece of hair out of her face.  He then let his fingers slide over her silky strands, before placing a soft kiss on her lips.  She stirred, but didn't wake.  He smiled at her one last time and then reluctantly rolled out of bed.

       The smile stayed on his lips as he walked down the hallway, realizing he hadn't woken up this happy since...the last time he'd woken up next to Sydney, before she was taken away from him.  His time with Lauren couldn't hope to compare.  

       He stopped at Lindsay's room and poked his head in.  She was sleeping soundly, her breathing producing a little whistle because of the gap in her teeth.  He took a step in and watched her sleep for a moment.  It was then that he noticed it.  In her right hand, she was clutching the five dollar bill he'd placed under her pillow the night before.  He smiled to himself, realizing she must have woken up during the night and found it.  

       He left Lindsay's room and walked to Billy's.  He chuckled softly when he saw his son.  Billy's covers were on the floor and he was lying on his back, his legs spread out, arms thrown over his head and mouth hanging wide open.  What a difference from Lindsay.  She looked as if she hadn't moved all night.

       He quietly bent down and picked up the covers, placing them back over his son.  He then pushed his bangs out of the way and kissed him gently on the forehead.  

       Vaughn then walked back down the hall, stopping halfway to look at some family pictures he hadn't seen before.  He smiled at a recent one with all four of them sitting in front of a Christmas tree, surrounded by presents.  

       It was in that moment that he realized he had it all.  Even though he craved this normal life, he didn't realize how much he really wanted it until he was given a taste.  

       _'This is everything I've always wanted and more.' _

* * * *

      An hour later, a sleepy Billy, Lindsay and Sydney padded into the kitchen, still clothed in pajamas.  Or, in Billy and Lindsay's case, the clothes they'd worn last night and subsequently slept in.  

       Sydney smiled at the sight of Vaughn cooking at the stove.  She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his back.  "I love a man who cooks."

       "You should probably wait until you taste this French toast before making that declaration."

       Sydney shook her head and grabbed a piece of bacon. "Are you kidding?  We love your French toast."

       Vaughn raised an eyebrow.  _'I make great French toast?  Well, that's certainly new.'_

       He put the last piece of French toast on a plate and turned the stove off.  He then walked over to the table and put the plates with bacon and French toast down.  He had barely released his grip on the plates, when all three attacked them.  Vaughn smiled to himself as he sat down to breakfast with his family.  

       "This French toast tastes different, Daddy," Lindsay said, as she chomped on a piece of bacon. 

       Vaughn looked down at his plate, eyes widening.  "Uh, good different or bad different?"

       "Good different, I guess," she replied.

       He let out a small sigh of relief.  Billy then stuck half a piece of French toast in his mouth and said, "I love it!"

       Vaughn laughed, but Sydney shook her head. "Billy, you know better than to talk with your mouth full.  I think you've been hanging around Uncle Eric too much."

       Vaughn nodded. "He's got a wealth of bad habits to pass onto children."       

       "So what time is Eric coming over to help you fix the sink?" Sydney asked.

       "Around 1 o'clock."

       "Oh, that's good.  Lindsay has a birthday party to go to at that time.  I'll take Billy to the supermarket with me while she's at the party.  We really need to get that sink fixed though.  A barbecue tonight without a sink is going to be very difficult."

       _'Barbecue?  Tonight?'_ he thought worriedly.  The fact that it was yet another thing that he and Weiss had discussed didn't escape him either.

       "Don't worry, we'll fix it," he managed to reply.

       Billy shook his head. "I want to stay with Daddy!  I want to help!"

       "Billy," Sydney began, as she cut her French toast, "Daddy really, really, really, needs to pay attention while he's working on the sink.  You'll distract him."

       Vaughn thought the use of three 'reallys' to be a bit much and was beginning to get a bruised ego.

       He took a sip of his orange juice and shrugged nonchalantly. "He can stay and help.  It'll be fun."

       Sydney raised her eyebrows, but then sighed in defeat.  "Okay."

* * * *

       Vaughn and Billy stood next to each other in the kitchen.   They were both wearing jeans and old, gray Kings t-shirts.  Billy had a Fisher-Price toolbelt around his waist and Vaughn held a toolbox in his hand.  Vaughn smiled down at Billy, realizing he now had his very own 'mini-me'. 

       "Ready?" he asked his son.  

       Billy nodded.  "Ready."

       Vaughn sat down next to the sink and placed the toolbox by his feet.  

       He then spoke to Billy. "Soda?"

       Billy nodded and handed him a can of soda.  "Soda."

       "Straw?"

       Billy handed him the straw.  "Straw."

       Vaughn placed the straw in the soda can and took a sip.  He then looked at his son.  "Hydration is always important when undertaking any household activity, Billy.  Remember that."

       Billy nodded his head vigorously, as if Vaughn had just imparted incredible wisdom.

       Truthfully, Vaughn was looking for any excuse to delay this.  He had no idea where to begin.  He was hoping Weiss would know.

       Just then, he heard the front door swing open and Weiss's booming voice.  "I come bearing hot dogs."

       He entered the kitchen and came to stand by Vaughn and Billy.  He gave Billy a high five and then addressed Vaughn, "Did you hear me?  I have hot dogs."

       "How are hot dogs going to help us?"

       "Well, I get cranky if I skip lunch, which makes me want to hurt somebody.  Really, it's for your own safety."

       Vaughn grabbed a hot dog and began to chomp on it.  It was then that he noticed the book in Weiss's hands.  His brow furrowed.  "'Plumbing for Dummies?'"

       Weiss nodded.  "Yeah, it's because of this series that I now know how to play chess and can make a mean souffle."

       Vaughn looked at him skeptically.  "Well, find the page where it says what to do when the water won't go down the drain."

       "Did you try that liquid plumbing stuff?"

       "Is that what it asks in the book?"

       "No, that was me asking."

       "Yeah, that didn't do anything."  At least he assumed that had been tried already.  

       Weiss flipped to the index at the back of the book and found something that apparently sounded like their problem.  "Here we go.  Page 64."  He turned to that page and read.  "If the water won't go down the drain, first try a liquid plumber of your choice.  If that doesn't work, then call a real plumber, because you're in over your head."

       Vaughn sighed. "Was that you talking?"

       "No, believe it or not, that was the book."

       "What kind of book about plumbing tells you to call a plumber?"

       "The crappy kind," Weiss replied and threw it in the trash. He then rubbed his hands together, "Look, how hard can this be?"

       "Famous last words," Vaughn said under his breath.

       "Famous last words," Billy repeated, mimicking Vaughn's tone.  

       "We've dismantled bombs, for gods sake.  This should be a piece of cake."  

       "Piece of cake!" Billy said, clapping his hands together.

       Weiss thought for a moment.  "Okay, so the water won't go down, which means the pipe must be clogged.  So, I say we take a wrench, loosen that u-shaped pipe thing and see what's going on down there."

       "That's it?  Just loosen the pipe?  It seems like we should do something first."

       "Like what?  Take it out and get it drunk?"

       Vaughn shrugged and turned to Billy.

       "Wrench?"

       Billy handed him his plastic Fisher-Price tool.  "Wrench."

       He and Weiss laughed and then Vaughn pulled the real tool out of the toolbox.  He proceeded to loosen the pipe.  Predictably, no sooner had he done that, then water began to spray out of the pipe. 

       Weiss and Billy backed up, but Vaughn got a face full of water.  

       Billy's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.  He then proceeded to run around Weiss, screaming "AHHHHHH!!!!!!"

       Weiss laughed.  "All right, so if that were a bomb, we'd all be dead right now." He then added, "I think I just figured out what we should have done first as a precaution: Turn off the water."

       "That's really helpful now, thanks!" Vaughn shouted, as he struggled to put the pipe back in place.  He managed to do so, but some water continued to spray out like a sprinkler.

       Billy looked at the water with twinkling eyes.  He'd calmed down and was now smiling.  

       "I'm going to go put my bathing suit on!" he announced.

       Both Vaughn and Weiss shook their heads, saying in unison, "No, no!"

       Vaughn then looked up at Weiss and said sharply, "Get me something to stop the leak."

       "Like what?"

       "I don't know!  Find something!"

       "Look, I'm not MacGyver.  I can't build a rocket out of a match and a paper clip."

       "I'm not asking you to build a rocket!"

       Weiss spun around the kitchen, looking for something to use.  Coming up empty, he looked at Billy for help.  Billy pointed to a crock of utensils.  Weiss shrugged and handed Vaughn a ladle.

       "What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" Vaughn asked, brow wrinkling.

       "You said find something."

       Vaughn chucked the ladle at him, missing and knocking over a potted plant.  

       Billy looked at the mess on the floor and shook his head. "Ohhh, you're in trouble now!  You're not supposed to throw things inside.  Mommy said."

       Vaughn ignored him, thinking the plant was the least of his problems.  He looked at Weiss.  "Something else!"

       Weiss threw his hands up in frustration and moved around the kitchen, Billy following close behind.   Billy finally spotted something on the kitchen table and pointed it out to him.  

       Weiss sighed and whispered to him, "Better than the ladle I guess...and at least it won't hurt if he chucks it at me and doesn't miss this time."

       He picked it up, walked back over to Vaughn and removed it from its container, handing it to him.

       Vaughn eyed the object in confusion.  "Silly Putty?"

       "It's not just for comics anymore."

       Vaughn sighed in defeat and removed the Silly Putty from the container, quickly applying it to the pipe.  To their amazement, it actually worked.  It was a temporary fix, but a fix nonetheless.  

       Weiss grinned at him.  "MacGyver would be proud."

       Vaughn nodded and looked down at the huge puddle he sat in and the soaked clothes sticking to his body.  "I guess we better clean this-..."

       He didn't even get a chance to finish his sentence, before Weiss bolted out of the kitchen, saying, "Come on, Billy, let's go get ice cream.  I'll bring him back with me tonight.  See you later!"

       Weiss and Billy passed Sydney on their way out.  Weiss quickly told her where he was taking Billy and when they'd be back, before offering her a cryptic smile as he flew past.  Sydney's brow furrowed in suspicion as she entered the kitchen, arms full of groceries.   She nearly dropped them when she saw her husband sitting in water, looking like a very handsome drowned rat.  

       She placed the bags on the table and walked over to him.  "What happened?"

       He raised an eyebrow. "We fixed the sink?"

       She stifled a smile. "Really."

       "Well, we attempted to fix the sink."

       _'This is one normal thing I could do without,'_ he thought.  _'God invented plumbers for a reason.'_

       Sydney shook her head and crouched down to examine the damage, noticing the Silly Putty.

       "Silly Putty?"

       "Don't ask."

       She couldn't help but laugh.  "You're hopeless," she said with a shake of her head. "I guess we can add this to the list of household repairs gone awry.  What should we call this one?"

       He smiled, realizing maybe this part of normal wasn't so bad after all.  It's a memory.  It's a story they can tell and laugh about.  

       _'That's what families do,'_ he thought.  There was so much of this life he hadn't been a part of, but now he was making memories of his own.  

       Vaughn's eyes moved to Sydney's and he grinned.  He then gently grabbed her arm, pulling her on top of him.  

       "You're getting me wet," she said in a half-hearted protest.

       "Actually, we're both wet now.  We might as well take advantage of that," he said huskily, as he lifted his lips to hers in a kiss.  

       "But what about this mess?" she asked in a moan against his lips.  

       "It'll be here," he said, his reply emerging muffled as his mouth moved to her neck.    

       He then raised his eyes to meet hers again.  She smiled, before they both scrambled to their feet, racing each other to the master bathroom.  

       Sydney got there first and had already turned the shower on by the time he entered.  She stood in front of him, eyes focused solely on his.  He ached to move closer, to touch her, but resisted, wanting to take her in.   

       Her hands moved to her jean skirt, making quick work of the zipper.  She let it drop to her feet and then kicked it in the corner, along with her sandals.  Vaughn's eyes moved down her slim figure.  He could actually feel his throat tighten in desire, as his gaze landed on her black lace panties.  She then pulled her shirt off and threw it in the corner with the skirt and sandals.  Vaughn licked his lips, as he took her in, the matching bra showing off just enough to drive him wild.

       He slowly took a step forward, nearly closing the distance between them.  He let his fingers play with her bra straps and glide over the soft skin of her arms.  He then brought his lips to her neck, leaving a trail of kisses down to her breastbone.  Sydney closed her eyes and threw her head back, letting a soft moan escape.  Vaughn moved his fingers to her back and undid the clasp on her bra, allowing it to drop to her feet.   He then took a step back and let his eyes wash over her.  

       _'God, she's beautiful.  I've missed this so much.  I can't imagine ever living without it again.'_

       He stepped closer, his hands moving to her hips, where he briefly caressed them, before slipping his fingers beneath the waistband of her panties and sliding them down.  The panties joined her bra on the floor.  

       It was Sydney's turn now.  She ran her hands over the tight muscles of his chest, marveling at how his wet gray t-shirt clung to them just right.   She then lifted the shirt over his head and threw it on the ever-growing pile of clothes.   She slowly ran her hands over his strong shoulders and down his sculpted arms.   She then brought her lips to his torso, leaving a path of hot kisses until she'd reached his jeans.  Vaughn took a deep breath and threaded his fingers through her hair, as she undid his jeans and slid them down his legs.   She then stood and captured his lips in hers, her hands moving to his waist and removing his boxers.  

       Their actions were slow, but passionate now.  They managed to get into the bathtub  and close the shower door.  Vaughn spun Sydney under the water and pressed her up against the tile with his body.  His lips moved from her mouth to her throat.   Sydney moaned in pleasure, arching her back and running her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.  

       Soon, neither one could take it anymore.  He ended the waiting, sending waves through her body.   A strangled groan escaped her lips, as she ran her fingernails down his back and moved in rhythm with him.  Finally, they collapsed against each other, simply allowing the water to cascade over them.

* * * *

     Sometime later (and after they'd had another round in the bed), they began to dress and prepare themselves for the rest of the day.   

       Vaughn watched Sydney out of the corner of his eye as he dressed.  He couldn't believe that he was finally able to be with her like that again.  It had always been amazing between them, better than he'd dreamt it could be.  He didn't think it was possible, but it was even better now.   

       He realized then that this life they'd built together made it that way.   Even though it wasn't his reality, even though he hadn't lived it until very recently, he could feel it.  They were happy, secure, and at peace, making their love deeper than it had ever been.  And it showed.  

       Vaughn caught Sydney's eye in the mirror as he buttoned his shirt.  She smiled at him and turned around, wrapping her arms around his neck.   

       "I can't remember the last time I had that much fun in the shower," she said.  "We definitely shouldn't wait so long to do that again."

       _'No, it's been far too long,'_ he thought, as he murmured his agreement against her lips.  

       Their kissing grew feverish and passionate quickly and they easily could have fallen back into bed.  Sydney finally pulled back, forehead touching his and eyes still closed as she spoke.  

       "I have to go pick up the kids."

       "I know," he replied, kissing her again.

       "And you have to do something about that sink," she moaned, as his lips moved to her ear.  

       "I know."

       Sydney giggled as he nibbled at her earlobe and then pressed her hands gently against his chest, pushing him away.  She smiled at him.  "Seriously, I would love nothing more than to spend the rest of the day in here with you, but we have people coming over in an hour.  I have to go pick up Lindsay and you have to clean up that mess in the kitchen and do something about that sink."

       Vaughn nodded in defeat. "Okay, okay, we'll go be adults."

       Sydney grinned.  "Oh, I don't know.  I think what we just did was very adult."

       Vaughn laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him again.  He then leaned down and gave her a quick kiss.  "Well, then, let's go be the PG-version of adults."

       She nodded and entwined her fingers with his, as they walked out of the bedroom and headed for the kitchen.  They were both still all smiles from their previous activities, but those smiles disappeared the moment they saw the kitchen.

       Apparently, the Silly Putty didn't hold and the pipe slipped, which resulted in the spraying from earlier to resume.   The kitchen floor now resembled a very shallow pond.  

       Vaughn looked at Syd.  "This could be a problem."

       She nodded and folded her arms across her chest.  "You think?"

* * * *

End of Part 4

~Thanks for reading!  Hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you thought.  Last part coming soon.  ~Steph    


	5. Welcome to Normal: Part 5

Title: Welcome to Normal: Part 5

Author: Steph (ILUVNYYANK@aol.com) 

Category: Romance/Humor

Pairings: Syd/Vaughn, Vaughn/Weiss friendship

Spoilers: "The Frame", "Unveiled", "Hourglass"

Rating: PG (with a strong PG-13 for an upcoming chapter)

Archive: Sure, just let me know where. 

Disclaimer: Alias and its characters do not belong to me. I do this out of 

a love for the show and no infringement is intended. 

Summary: Vaughn gets a taste of the normal life he craves. 

Note: Hey guys! Thanks for the great feedback as usual!   So, this is it, the last part.  I'm kind of sad to see my first real multi-part story to end!  It's been really fun to write.  This last part, of course, is longer and different than it originally was.  I feel like I should put out a fanfic version of a DVD commentary about how this fic has changed since I originally declared it "done"!   (BTW, the majority of your favorite parts, things you mentioned or quoted, were not in the original.  And many of mine weren't either.  Go figure! ) Couple of things:

-I really hope you guys aren't disappointed with how this ends. Like I said, I wasn't trying to come up with a creative explanation for what happened to Vaughn.  You all probably guessed it or considered it a possibility.   That wasn't important to this story.  The important part is what this ends up meaning for him.  This story, more than anything, was about hope.  So, with that said, I hope you'll enjoy how it ends.

-Also, for the purposes of this story, Lauren has not found out about Vaughn knowing the truth about her yet.  

-I confess that I may do another multi-part story.   Nothing's definite, but I have a very sketchy idea for one in my head.  It may turn into nothing, but we'll see.   It'll be exact opposite of this one though.  We're talking dripping with angst and sadness.     

Okay, well, that's about it. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy it and please let me know what you thought one last time!  ~Steph

* * * * Welcome to Normal: Part 5/5 * * * *

       Sydney and Vaughn made a valiant effort to clean up the kitchen before their guests arrived, but it was in vain.  Their family and friends arrived as expected - except instead of being treated to a barbecue, they were asked to join in the pre-barbecue fun of cleaning the kitchen.   

       Marshall, Mitchell, Carrie, Dixon, Jack and Weiss came armed with mops.  The cleaning, which normally would have been a tedious task, instead turned into an activity filled with laughter.  

       Jack glanced at Dixon.  "Apparently, he didn't turn the water off first."

       Dixon grinned.  "There's a reason he didn't start out as a field agent."

       Jack chuckled, having grown a tad softer with age and grandchildren, and continued to mop.  His movement, however, was soon hindered by his grandchildren, who had grabbed onto each of his legs like koala bears.  

       He smiled down at them.  "Hello, you two.  Are you helping Grandpa?"

       They both nodded and then proceeded to get into a fight about who was holding on tighter.  

       Weiss had been left in charge of the water-vac when Syd and Vaughn went to start preparing the food for the eventual barbecue.  This, of course, was a lapse in judgment on their part.  

       He entertained the children by placing the hose in his mouth and inflating his cheeks like a blowfish.   He then attached it to the top of his head and pulled back, leaving him looking like a young Albert Einstein.  Billy and Lindsay laughed so hard they nearly lost their grip on their grandfather.

       Weiss soon grew bored and hungry though.  He dropped the water-vac and spoke to the other guests.  "What's wrong with this picture?  Why are we, the guests, cleaning, while our hosts are not?  I say we revolt.  Who's with me?!"

       His fellow guests ignored him, so he wandered over to Sydney and Vaughn.  

       "You guys really know how to throw a party.  What's next?  We clean your bathrooms and paint the house, after which we can receive a morsel of food?" He paused and then added, "Plus, haven't I done enough for one day?  I helped fix the sink. Well...tried to fix the sink."

      Sydney threw him a look. "Silly Putty?"

       Weiss pointed at Billy. "Hey, that was his idea."

       "You're blaming a four-year old?" Sydney asked with a shake of her head.

       Weiss shrugged.  "If I'm going down, I'm taking him with me."

       Sydney and Vaughn laughed, as Weiss came over to examine the food they were preparing.  He looked at the uncooked hot dogs Vaughn was placing on a plate.  "Beef, right?  Not those crappy turkey ones."

       Vaughn smiled, remembering their conversation.  "Of course."

       He then watched as Weiss dug into a bag of potato chips.  He spoke through a mouth full.   "With ridges.  Nice."

       Half an hour later, the teamwork had paid off.  The kitchen was clean and they all headed outside for the barbecue.   Vaughn cooked on the grill, assisted by Weiss.   They then sat down to a meal of hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob and pasta salad.

       The meal was an enjoyable one.  Every so often, Vaughn looked at his family and friends as they ate, talked, smiled and laughed, and found himself lost in the moment.  Everything seemed to move in slow motion as he tried to savor every minute.   

       Vaughn was thrown from his trance by the feeling of Sydney's hand finding his beneath the table.  He turned to look at her and smiled.   He then watched and laughed with her, as their children imitated Weiss and used hot dogs to do a walrus impression.

       The radio was playing in the background as they ate.  The song changed and a familiar tune began to play.  Vaughn and Sydney turned to each other, realizing it was the song they had first danced to as husband and wife at their wedding.

_It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart_

_Without saying a word, you can light up the dark_

       Vaughn swallowed hard and stood up, extending his hand out to her.  

       _'If I can't have the real thing,_' he thought, _'then this is the next best.'_  

Try as I may I could never explain 

_What I hear when you don't say a thing_

       Sydney smiled and placed her hand in his as she stood.  He pulled her into his arms and they swayed to the music.  She placed her head on his shoulder, just as she done that day, and closed her eyes.  Her scent filled his senses and he breathed her in, pulling her even closer.   

_The smile on your face lets me know that you need me_

_There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me_

_The touch of your hand says you'll catch me whenever I fall_

_You say it best.. When you say nothing at all_

       Weiss snickered from his seat, saying softly to the others. "I swear, these two don't understand what it means to be married.  They've been married eight years.  They should be ignoring each by now.  Am I right, Carrie?  Marshall?"

       Marshall shrugged.  "Well, I ignore Carrie because, you know, she asks me to, so I may not be the best person to ask."

       Weiss sighed in relief as the song finished.  He stood up and changed the station, smiling as a hard rock song came on.

       He then shook his head in amazement, as Sydney and Vaughn continued to sway to the music, as if nothing had changed.  "I guess I was wrong.  For them, marriage means ignoring the rest of the world."

       As they moved back and forth in each others arms, Vaughn now knew for sure how they must they have felt on their wedding day as they danced...like the only two people on the planet.

* * * *

      An hour later, Vaughn followed Sydney into the kitchen, their arms full of dirty dishes.   She looked at their still-broken sink and then turned to him.  

       "Did I tell you yet what a great job you did on the sink?"

       Vaughn smiled. "Sarcasm really doesn't suit you."

       She stepped forward and placed a kiss on his cheek, whispering in his ear, "Call a plumber tomorrow," before brushing past him and exiting the kitchen.  

       Vaughn watched her disappear from view before setting out to make the messy sink look a little less messy.   He soon heard footsteps behind him and turned around, finding himself face to face with Jack.

      Jack maneuvered around him, placing some more dishes on the counter.   He looked at Vaughn once, as if he had something he wanted to say, but then shook his head slightly, apparently thinking better of it.   However, when he reached the threshold to the kitchen, he turned around and took a few steps forward.  

       Vaughn looked at him curiously.  Several times during the meal, he'd noticed Jack's eyes on him.  It seemed like he had something on his mind.  

       Jack's gaze didn't quite meet Vaughn's as he spoke.  "You once accused me of believing you were not worthy of my daughter.  Well, the truth is, as a father, I don't believe any man is good enough for my daughter.  I expect you understand a little about that now that you have a daughter of your own."  He met Vaughn's eyes as he went on, "However, I have watched you over the last eight years.  I've watched you be a devoted husband and a loving father.  You've made Sydney happier than I've ever seen her.  For that, I am grateful.  A father couldn't ask for more for his daughter."  His voice then grew softer and he lowered his eyes, "So, I thought you might like to know that I don't believe there is another man more deserving of her than you."

       With that he turned on his heel.  Vaughn stood with his mouth open, speechless for a moment, before he finally managed to find some words.  "Jack."

       Jack turned back around to face him.  Vaughn swallowed hard and then said softly, "Thank you."

       Jack offered him a hint of a smile and a slight nod of his head, before leaving the room.  

* * * *  

       Two hours later, Sydney and Vaughn said goodbye to their last guest and shut the door.   She placed her arm around his waist and he draped his across her shoulders, as they made their way to the living room.

       They smiled at their sleeping children who lay on the couch.  Gently, they each moved one, so that they could settle on the couch, too.  Billy's head ended up on Sydney's lap and Lindsay's on Vaughn's.   

       Sydney sank back into the couch, resting her head on Vaughn's chest.  He brought his arm around her shoulder and found her hand, linking his fingers with hers.   

       She yawned, her eyes becoming droopy with sleep.  "Promise me we'll always be like this," she whispered.   

       He smiled and brought her hand up to his lips, lightly kissing her soft skin.

       "I promise," he replied.

       And the truth was that he couldn't imagine a time when they wouldn't be.  To him, this had become his life...and he no longer even entertained the possibility of it all disappearing.

       As he drifted off to sleep, he had never been happier.

* * * *

       Vaughn could feel the warmth of the sunlight on his skin.  He turned over and slowly opened his eyes, expecting to be greeted by Sydney's face.  

       Instead, he found Lauren smiling back at him. 

       "Morning, love," she whispered.

       His eyes widened and he moved away from her so quickly he nearly fell out of bed.  He stood up and stared at her in shock for a few moments.  

       He then shook his head, muttering to himself.  "No, this can't be happening.  It can't all be gone.  It seemed so real.  It was real!"

       Lauren's brow furrowed in confusion.  "Michael, sweetheart, what's the matter?  What's wrong?"

       He looked at her once more, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that she was still his wife, not Sydney.  He then shook his head vigorously and moved around the room, throwing on a pair of jeans and t-shirt, and grabbing his keys and wallet on his way out of the room.  He didn't bother saying good-bye.

       "Michael!  Michael, where are you going?!" Lauren called after him.  

* * * *

       Ten minutes later, Vaughn found himself standing outside Weiss's place, knocking on his door impatiently.  

       Weiss threw the door open, a toothbrush in his mouth.  "Were you trying to knock my door down?" he asked, the toothbrush making him a little hard to understand.

       Vaughn didn't bother with a greeting.  He just walked past him.  Weiss shut the door behind him and removed the toothbrush.  "What's going on, man?  You look terrible."

       Vaughn's eyes darted around his place, before landing on him.  "Did we ever try to fix a sink together?"

       Weiss raised his eyebrows.  "What?"

       Vaughn squeezed his eyes shut and groaned.  He then moved to the couch and sank down into, covering his face with his hands.   

       Weiss sat down next to him and tried to make some sense out of his friend's strange behavior.  "We did talk about a kitchen sink needing fixing last night, remember?  We had that whole discussion about what a normal life would be like.  Maybe you just got a little confused."

       Vaughn shook his head, his eyes now rooted to the floor.  "It was all a dream. None of it was real."

       "A dream?  You had a dream about the two of us fixing a sink?  Seriously, Mike, that's just sad.  You, my friend, need to learn how to fixate on women you'll never have and then incorporate them into your dreams."

       Vaughn rubbed at his face.  "No, you don't understand.  I had a dream about a normal life with Sydney.  We were both teachers and we had two amazing kids.  It was incredible."  He paused and then looked up at Weiss, "And it seemed as real as us sitting here right now talking."

       _'I should have known,'_ he thought_.  'Everything I discussed with Weiss happened: the errands, the sink, the barbecue.  A dream was the only thing that made sense.'_

       It was so strange.  He'd actually spent just hours living in that alternate reality and he'd never felt more at home, he'd never felt more content.  Now, that was all gone...and this was the life that didn't seem real.  

       He rubbed at his face and spoke softly, "I had a son and a daughter.  Billy was four and Lindsay was six."  He smiled at Weiss now, his eyes twinkling like a proud father's.  "Billy loved hockey and had a goldfish named Mr. Goldy.   And Lindsay...Lindsay just lost her tooth," he said, pointing to his mouth to indicate the spot.  He shook his head, the smile fading, and lowered his eyes.  "He looked just like me...and she...it was like looking at Sydney at that age."

       Weiss remained silent, realizing Vaughn needed the time to let this sink in, to work it out in his head.  

       Vaughn ran a hand through his hair.  "And Sydney was this great teacher and an amazing mother." He took a deep breath and met Weiss's gaze.  "We were so happy."

       Weiss stared at him for a long moment, before finally speaking.  "It may not have been real, but that doesn't mean something like it can't happen in the future.  If anyone deserves that kind of happiness, it's you two."

       Vaughn nodded and then sat for a long time in silence, slowly forcing himself to accept the truth.  He then swallowed hard and said softly, "I have to see Sydney."

       He stood and walked to the door, followed closely behind by Weiss.  "You're not going to tell her about the dream, are you?"

       Vaughn's brow wrinkled.  "Of course I am.  Why wouldn't I?"

       Weiss shook his head.  "Listen, man, you can't do that.  Sydney is still trying to process the fact that you went back to Lauren."

       "So?  I know the truth about Lauren now. She has to realize that it's only a matter of time until my marriage is officially over and then we can be together.  That's what she wants.  So why wouldn't she want to hear about my dream?  It'll show her that I want the same thing."

       "No, it won't.  All it will do is show her everything she doesn't have right now.  I know you didn't mean to, Mike, but you really hurt her when you went back to Lauren.  Whether or not it would have been temporary, she saw it as permanent.  She let her hope for you two go.  It was easier than setting herself up to get hurt again.   And even though you and Lauren definitely don't have a future, I don't think she's allowed herself to think about what that could mean for you two yet."

       Vaughn nodded in understanding. "Okay, I won't tell her about the dream...but I have to make her see that I can't imagine my future without her."

       With that, Vaughn left.   Weiss simply shook his head as he watched him go.  "That guy's life's got more drama than an episode of 'The O.C'."

* * * *

        Vaughn slowly approached Sydney's door, taking a deep breath before knocking.  He heard footsteps and, a moment later, the door opened.  

       His eyes landed on her, half-expecting to find her hair shorter and styled closer to her face, bangs gone.  Instead, he found her looking as she had the last time he'd actually seen her. His eyes moved to her left hand, heart-dropping at the absence of a wedding ring.  He realized a piece of him had been hoping he'd woken up in a nightmare and that the life he'd come to love was actually reality.

       "Vaughn. Hi," she said, her tone indicating surprise.

       "Come with me," he said by way of a greeting, gaze focused intently on hers.

       Sydney eyes widened in surprise.  "What?  Where?"

       "Just come with me.  I'll explain when we get there."

       Sydney stared at him for a moment, before nodding her reply.  He turned and she followed him to his car.

       Less than fifteen minutes later, Vaughn pulled up to the curb, put the car in park and turned off the ignition.  The ride had been a silent one.  He looked at her as he pulled the keys out, but didn't say a word.  

       She knew that look.  It said 'trust me'.   And she did.  She always had.

       He then exited the car, moved to the passenger side and opened the door for her.   Their eyes connected for a moment as Sydney got out, before she looked away.  

       Vaughn led the way up the sidewalk toward the small brick apartment building.  He walked up the front steps and opened the door, stepping aside to allow Sydney entrance.  He then closed the door and nodded for Sydney to follow him up the stairs.  They walked up two flights and halfway down a hall, before stopping outside a door.  He reached into his pocket for keys and was just about to put them in the lock, when her voice stopped him.

       "Where are we?"

       He placed the key in the lock and pushed the door open, speaking as he did so.  "This is my old apartment."

       Sydney's brow furrowed in confusion, as they both entered.  She quickly surveyed the surroundings.  The apartment was still fully furnished, a black leather couch and glass coffee table at the center of the living room.  

       She turned to face him.  "What is this?  Why did you take me here?"

       He gestured for her to sit on the couch.  She did so and he then joined her.  

       He focused his eyes on her.  "I never got rid of this apartment, Sydney.  I kept it after Lauren and I married."

       Sydney shook her head. "I don't understand.  Why?"

       "I couldn't give it up.  After I lost you, one of my biggest regrets was that you never came over here.  We were both so busy and you lived closer to work, so we always ended up at your place."  He paused and then nodded toward the hallway, "Follow me."  

       She stood up and followed him down the hallway into the master bedroom.  The queen size bed still had a blue plaid comforter and pillows on it.  He moved toward a mahogany chest of drawers, staring at it for a few moments, before raising his eyes up to hers.

       "That weekend, when we got back from Santa Barbara, I was going to bring you here for the first time.  And then I was going to give you this."

       Vaughn pointed to the middle drawer, silently telling her to open it.  She swallowed hard, before bending down and opening the drawer.  She could actually feel her throat tighten when she saw its contents:  An empty drawer, except for a key.

       She slowly stood back up and looked at him.  His voice grew husky. "I had cleaned out a drawer for you and then I'd placed a key to my apartment in it.  I thought the time was finally right for you to have it."  He paused and swallowed hard.  "The first time I tried to give you the key it wasn't right.  So, I waited for the perfect moment. I waited for the perfect moment to do a lot of things, Sydney.   I was also going to tell you I loved you that weekend.  But I waited too long.   That's the problem with waiting for the perfect moment.  Sometimes you miss your chance."

       Vaughn moved his eyes to the ground.  "I told you I couldn't give it up.  After I thought you died, I'd open that drawer and just stare at it for hours.  Its emptiness mirrored my life without you.  When I met Lauren and we decided to marry, I knew I should get rid of the apartment, sell the furniture because we were getting new things.  But I couldn't.  Something inside just wouldn't let me." He stopped and lifted his eyes to meet hers. "I realize now it was because a little part of me still held out hope that you'd come back to me.  I know, it sounds crazy.  They had a body, a DNA match and I had managed to move on...in theory, at least.   But it's the only explanation.  Something inside of me knew that I'd have a chance to give you this.  It was hope, Syd.   I had it, even if I didn't realize it back then."

       He exhaled deeply, before going on. "When you returned, I knew I'd made the right decision.   It took me a while, but this place came to symbolize my hope for our future."

       Sydney wiped a tear from her face and folded her arms over her chest.  "Does Lauren know about this place?"

       He shook his head. "No, she thinks I gave it up when we got married.  I actually used to feel guilty about keeping it a secret from her." He paused and looked down, "Turns out, my secret didn't compare to hers."  He then lifted his head and looked at her, "I come here sometimes, you know.  Whenever I just need to get away and think...feel closer to you."

       Sydney nodded, as she took it all in.  "Why didn't you stay here when you left Lauren?"

       "I didn't want her to know about this place.  If she needed to call or come visit, she had to know where I was, so I couldn't lie.  I decided to stay with Weiss."

       Sydney looked at him and then shook her head. "Why did you bring me here?"

       He stared at her for a moment before going on, "I know I hurt you, Sydney.  I know when I went back to Lauren after her father died that you thought we wouldn't get another chance.  And I know that makes you reluctant to believe that we'll have another one now that I know the truth about her.   Well...I took you here today because I need you to see why you can't give up on us...why you can't give up hope.  All of this exists because of it.  I know a lot's changed for both of us and I have a lot to deal with because of what's happened with Lauren.  I know that I have to keep pretending with her for a while.  But it will all end, Syd.  It may take some time, but it'll happen.  And when it does, I know we'll find our way back to each other.  I just need you to believe in that."

       Sydney choked back some tears.  "I want to believe that, I do...I'm just scared of getting hurt again."

       Vaughn brought his hand up to her cheek and whispered. "I know you are.  I am, too.  Sometimes just the thought of being with you only to lose you again scares me to death.   The truth is, neither of us knows what will happen in the future. I think life's taught us that lesson well.  But I have to believe that whatever happens, we'll end up together."

       He wanted to tell her why he believed that.  He wanted to tell her that even though he couldn't predict the future, that he'd seen one they could have.  

       Vaughn bent down and picked up the key.  He held it out to Sydney.  "Take this.  It'll help you believe that we'll get back to this point someday soon."

       Sydney took the keys from him and then shook her head, placing them back in the drawer.  

       "Syd-..." Vaughn began, worry in his voice.

       She looked at him and said softly,  "It'll be waiting for us.  When it's time, give it to me and then I'll know."

       He smiled and then took her hand in his, leading her to the bed.  They both sat down on the edge.  He stared at her for a moment, the memories of his dream flooding back.   Even now, he felt an incredible urge to pull her into his arms and make love to her.  He knew that when he was finally given another chance with her, he wouldn't take even one moment for granted.

       He removed his eyes from hers and moved them to the ground. "There's something else I need you to know." He paused and then added, "I wanted to talk to you about what happened in Richmond."

       Sydney shifted uncomfortably.  "I really don't want to talk about that again."

       Vaughn nodded and forced himself to meet her eyes.  "I know, I know.  It's just...there was something I wanted to say to you the other day and, for whatever reason, I didn't."  He paused, inhaling and exhaling deeply before speaking,  "When Lauren said that our wedding day was the happiest of her life and I agreed...that was a lie, Sydney.  Whether or not I ever knew the truth about Lauren, whether or not she really was who she said she was, that wasn't the happiest day of my life.  Not even close.  I need you to know that."

       Sydney bobbed her head, as she fought approaching tears.  He went on, swallowing around the lump in his throat. "Everyday I ever spent with you was happier."  He watched as a tear fell from her eye, but she remained focused on him.  His voice grew softer now, "And I want you to know that I believe the happiest is still to come."

       Sydney smiled and nodded, as she wiped at the tears on her face.  "I needed to hear that.  Thank you."

       Their gaze held for a long moment, before he stood.  "Have you eaten breakfast yet?"

       She shook her head. "Not yet."

       "I keep some food here.  How about I make you some French toast?"

       Sydney's eyebrows peaked in surprise.  "I didn't think you made French toast."

       He smiled and shrugged. "I figured I'd start now."

       Sydney grinned and stood, following him to the kitchen.  She sat at the counter and watched as he made breakfast.  He could feel her eyes on him as he cooked, causing a smile to cross his lips.

       He wanted to tell her about wanting to leave the CIA and her coming with him.  He wanted to tell her about the blissfully normal life they could have.  But he resisted, knowing he needed to take this slow.  It was enough for her to know that the future he imagined, had her in it.

       And, truth be told, he was slowly beginning to feel relieved that this was still his reality.  This way, he reasoned, he wouldn't have to miss all of those happy days leading up to the ones he'd dreamt of.  

       He'd get to live them.  

       He'd get to experience their wedding day and the birth of their children and all of the little day-to-day things in between that make a life. 

       He was thrown from his thoughts by Sydney's sudden presence at his side.  She looked up at him and smiled.  "I love a man who cooks."

       He couldn't help but smile right along with her.

* * * *

~Two Months Later~

       Sydney was standing at the stove cooking dinner, when she heard a knock at the door.   

       "Coming," she called, as she wiped her hands on a towel and headed to the door.

       She opened the door, brow furrowing at the absence of anyone.  She moved her eyes to the ground, eyebrows peaking at a large, wrapped package that sat on her welcome mat.  

       She stepped outside and looked around for whoever had delivered the package.  Finding no one, she picked it up and brought it inside.  After a quick inspection to make sure it was harmless, Sydney ripped it open.

       She smiled at the sight of "her" drawer with the key to Vaughn's apartment sitting inside.  She could feel the sudden onset of tears, as the phone rang.   

       She blinked back the tears and walked to the phone.  "Hello?"

       "How about we get that cup of coffee now?" the familiar voice replied. 

       Sydney now smiled through the tears.   She was just about to answer, when the doorbell rang again.   Brow furrowing, she went to answer it.

       When she opened the door, she found Vaughn standing behind it, phone in his right hand and a carton with two coffees in his left.   

       Sydney grinned and met his eyes for a long moment, before taking a step forward and placing a soft kiss on his lips.  

       He chuckled, as they parted.  "So, is that a yes?"

       She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him again. 

       Soon, both the phone and the coffees were on the ground, as he snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

       He had only one thought as they kissed_, 'This is the beginning of all my dreams coming true.'_

******************************************THE END********************************************

Thanks so much for reading!  I hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you thought!  ~Steph

Song was:  "When You Say Nothing At All" by Alison Krauss      


End file.
